Me! A high-ranking official!

"Quick! Carry her downstairs! My car is parked downstairs, and the First Municipal Hospital is just two intersections ahead. Hurry up!" Lin Jiaojiao cried out anxiously, shoving Zhao Jianguo from behind.

He didn't care about anything else and rushed into the operating room.

The sight before him made his heart stop. Zhou Qingyan was lying stiffly on the operating chair. His once cool face was now as pale as paper, his lips had turned a horrifying bluish-purple, his mouth was wide open, his eyes were wide open, his chest was heaving violently, and a rapid hissing sound came from his throat like a bellows. He was desperately trying to breathe, but it was as if someone was strangling him and he was about to suffocate!

Zhao Jianguo yelled for the doctor, pulled the IV needle out of her hand, lifted her up from the operating chair, and ran downstairs.

"Hold on! Zhou Qingyan, you have to hold on! We're almost at the hospital!" he shouted anxiously as he rushed down the stairs.

He had just rushed into the lobby on the first floor with the person in his arms when a loud bang suddenly exploded from directly in front of him!

A white sedan, like a maddened beast, crashed through the tempered glass door of the clinic, sending shards of glass flying everywhere, and rushed straight into him!

He was terrified and, on instinct, shielded Zhou Qingyan in his arms, scrambling and crawling behind a nearby pillar.

The car sped past him, slamming into the background wall inside the hall with a thud, creating a huge crack in the wall. The front of the car was deeply embedded in the wall before it came to a stop, emitting white smoke.

The driver's side door was pushed open, and Lin Jiaojiao, pale-faced, stumbled out of the car. Looking at Zhao Jianguo, her lips trembled, and she burst into tears: "Jianguo... I... I was so nervous, I stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake..."

If someone were to die in her clinic, her life would be completely ruined. The extreme fear made her lose all reason.

"Forget about the car! I'll take responsibility for all the losses! Go outside and flag down a car to take her to the hospital!" Zhao Jianguo shouted, trying to remain calm.

Lin Jiaojiao suddenly realized what was happening, hurriedly wiped away her tears, turned around and rushed out of the clinic, running into the road to try and flag down a car.

However, around 9 p.m. is the peak time when dinner parties in the city are ending and nightlife is just beginning. The roads are full of cars, and you can't see a single empty taxi.

Zhao Jianguo carried Zhou Qingyan to the roadside and looked down. He saw that Zhou Qingyan's eyes had started to roll back, and her body was twitching slightly and uncontrollably. She was breathing more air than she was exhaling, and her vital signs were rapidly deteriorating!

We can't wait any longer! If we wait another minute, the Party Secretary of Linshui County will die in the street!

As two taxis carrying passengers sped past, he gritted his teeth, spotted a black private car coming from this direction, grabbed the person, crossed half the road, and stood in front of the car!

"Squeak...!!!"

A screeching sound of brakes echoed through the night sky, and the tires left two long black tracks on the asphalt road. The black private car came to a stop less than half a meter away from Zhao Jianguo's knees!

Without saying a word, he carried Zhou Qingyan and rushed to the back door, grabbing the door handle, only to find that the door was locked by the central locking system.

The driver, a burly man, rolled down the window a crack, stuck his head out, and yelled, "Are you fucking asking for it?! You're trying to scam me! Get out of here!"

Lin Jiaojiao rushed up, clinging to the car window and pleading, "Brother, please! We have a critically ill patient here, they've gone into shock. Please, have mercy and open the door to take us to the city's No. 1 Hospital! We'll pay any price you ask!"

The burly driver glanced at the unconscious woman in Zhao Jianguo's arms, her eyes rolled back, and felt a chill run down his spine. He impatiently waved his hands repeatedly, "Get out of the way! Don't let me die in your car and bring bad luck! I'm in a hurry, I'm not taking you! Find someone else!"

As he spoke, he was about to roll up the car window.

Seeing that the other party was not going to help, Zhao Jianguo's patience ran out. His face was so gloomy that it could drip water. He pulled Zhou Qingyan to his left, freed his right hand, clenched his fist, and slammed it hard into the rear window of the car!

"Bang!"

With a crash, the car window was instantly covered in spiderweb-like cracks before shattering! His hand was cut by the glass, blood streaming down, but he reached into the car, unlocked the central locking system, opened the door, and carefully placed Zhou Qingyan inside. He then got in himself and called to Lin Jiaojiao, "Get in quickly!"

The burly driver was stunned by the sudden turn of events. After recovering, he was trembling with rage, pointing at Zhao Jianguo and yelling, "Are you fucking crazy?! How dare you smash my car! This is robbery, you know? You have to pay! I'm calling the police!"

"Drive! To the First Municipal Hospital! Hurry!" Zhao Jianguo roared.

"I'm not going! You've damaged the car, so pay for it first!" the driver insisted.

"As long as you get the person to the emergency room, I'll immediately transfer 10,000 yuan to you for car repairs!"

The driver was taken aback, his eyes flashing slightly: "Are you fucking serious? Don't think I'm easy to fool!"

Without wasting words, Zhao Jianguo raised his still-bleeding right hand and slammed his fist hard into the metal headrest of the passenger seat.

"Creak..."

With a loud thud, the thick, solid metal rod was actually bent by his angry punch!

The carriage fell into a deathly silence.

The burly driver looked at the bent headrest, then glanced at Zhao Jianguo's murderous eyes, swallowed hard, and was so frightened that he dared not say another word. He suddenly shifted into gear, stepped on the gas pedal, and sped forward!

Upon arriving at the hospital entrance, before the car had even come to a complete stop, Zhao Jianguo kicked open the car door and rushed out, carrying Zhou Qingyan in his arms.

"Doctor! Emergency! Anaphylactic shock from anesthesia! Help!"

The quiet emergency room was instantly roused by Zhao Jianguo's shout. Several on-duty doctors and nurses rushed out with a stretcher. Seeing Zhou Qingyan's bluish-purple face and weak pulse, the experienced doctor's expression changed drastically: "Quick! Administer adrenaline! Get him to the resuscitation room!"

The emergency department was instantly thrown into chaos, and a glaring red light flashed at the entrance to the resuscitation room.

Standing in the empty corridor, Zhao Jianguo looked at the glaring blood on his hands and felt a chill in his heart. When Zhou Qingyan first took office, he was severely allergic to penicillin and doxycycline and was hospitalized twice. Unexpectedly, Zhou Qingyan was also allergic to anesthetic drugs. He hadn't encountered it before, but this time he saw it with his own eyes, and the severe allergic symptoms kept flashing before his eyes like a movie.

Lin Jiaojiao clutched her chest, anxiously peering through the crack in the door.

Time passed second by second, and every second felt like torture.

They kept going until midnight.

The red light above the emergency room door finally went out, and the attending physician, looking exhausted, pushed open the door and walked out. He took off his mask, looked at Zhao Jianguo who was anxiously waiting for him, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're lucky you brought him in time. A few minutes later, even a miracle wouldn't have saved him. The patient is out of danger and has regained consciousness. His vital signs are stable, so he'll be transferred to a regular ward for observation immediately."

Upon hearing this, his heart, which had been in his throat, suddenly settled back into his stomach, and he repeatedly bowed to the doctor to express his gratitude.

A few minutes later, Zhou Qingyan, whose face was as pale as paper and whose hand was connected to an IV drip, was wheeled out and moved into a private ward.

Zhao Jianguo and Lin Jiaojiao followed the nurse and pushed Zhou Qingyan into a quiet private ward.

After settling her in, Zhao Jianguo stood by the bed, looking at Zhou Qingyan on the hospital bed. Her eyes were closed, her long eyelashes were still trembling slightly, and although her face was still pale, her breathing was steady. Zhao Jianguo knew that she was not actually asleep, but in a state of semi-consciousness. However, due to her sensitive status as the county party secretary, she was absolutely unwilling to face outsiders at this time.

He sighed softly, turned and waved to Lin Jiaojiao. The two walked to a corner near the door of the ward, lowered their voices, and said apologetically, "Jiaojiao, I'm so sorry to have frightened you tonight."

Looking at Zhou Qingyan, whose vital signs were stable on the hospital bed, Lin Jiaojiao finally relaxed completely. Her eyes reddened instantly, and her voice trembled with relief: "It's good that he's alright... Jianguo, you don't know how scared I was just now. If someone had really died, my clinic job would be over, and my life would be over."

Zhao Jianguo knew the stakes within the system and the medical community, and he also knew how much psychological pressure his old classmate was under tonight. He gave a wry smile and comforted him, "Nobody expected this kind of sudden situation. It must have frightened you. Don't worry, I will take full responsibility for all the losses tonight, including the repair costs of your car, the glass and walls of the clinic's entrance, and the losses you incurred from the shutdown these past few days."

As he spoke, he took out his phone and quickly tapped the screen a few times: "I'll transfer 500,000 to you first. If that's not enough, just let me know anytime, don't be shy!"

Lin Jiaojiao was taken aback and was about to wave her hand and say no.

"bite……"

Lin Jiaojiao's phone suddenly beeped in her pocket. When she took it out, the screen displayed a text message that 500,000 yuan had been deposited into her bank account!

Lin Jiaojiao's eyes widened instantly, staring at Zhao Jianguo as if he were an alien. She knew Zhao Jianguo's background well; he used to be just a poor scribe in the government office, and now he'd been sent to a remote, impoverished village. When did her old classmate become so wealthy? Five hundred thousand yuan, transferred without batting an eye?!

"Jianguo, are you crazy! You don't need so much!" Lin Jiaojiao hurriedly tried to return the money, saying urgently, "It's a miracle everyone's alright. The glass and walls at the clinic, plus the car repairs, will only cost a little over 100,000 yuan at most. Why would we need 500,000!"

Zhao Jianguo pressed her hand down, gave a wry smile, but his tone was firm: "Take it. Besides, you lost a lot of money by stopping your clinic for a few days. If there's anything left after you repair the car and the shop, consider it a red envelope to calm your nerves. You were busy until midnight tonight because of me, and you were so worried that you almost got into a murder case. If you don't accept this money, I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life. Now that she's out of danger, I'll stay here and watch over her. You're exhausted, so go back and rest."

Lin Jiaojiao was indeed extremely exhausted. The fright she had just experienced had left her legs still weak. Seeing Zhao Jianguo's resolute attitude, she stopped being coy, nodded, glanced at Zhou Qingyan on the hospital bed, and said with a wry smile, "Okay, then I'll go back first. Call me anytime if anything happens. My home isn't far from the First Municipal Hospital. I'll come to visit again tomorrow morning."

After Lin Jiaojiao left, the ward became completely quiet.

He walked to the bedside, pulled up a chair and sat down. In the dim light of the ward's wall lamp, he quietly looked at Zhou Qingyan.

Zhou Qingyan's eyes remained closed, but the muscles in his eyelids twitched slightly, indicating that he was awake and might have even heard him transfer 500,000 yuan to Lin Jiaojiao.

He exhaled a long breath, rubbed his temples, and said softly, "Tell me... is this really fate?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Qingyan on the hospital bed suddenly opened his eyes.

Those were bloodshot eyes, yet still sharp and cold. Turning her head, she glared at Zhao Jianguo with a look of hatred, complexity, and even a hint of indescribable grievance.

His eyes seemed to say, "If it weren't for you, you bastard, how could I have ended up in this state where I'm at the mercy of others and almost lost my life!"

After glaring fiercely, Zhou Qingyan closed his eyes again in a huff, his chest heaving violently and his breathing becoming extremely heavy, clearly indicating that he was not at peace.

Seeing her reaction, Zhao Jianguo felt a mix of emotions. He leaned back in his chair, carefully replaying everything that had happened in the past three times in a row!

The first time I went to Huai'an County, I encountered a major safety accident in the county and couldn't complete the procedure. The second time I went to Huai'an County, I happened to run into a staff member of the county, whose relative was the vice president of the hospital. The third time, I went to my most trusted classmate in the city. The equipment and privacy were top-notch, but she was severely allergic to the conventional anesthetic and almost died on the operating table!

One or two times could be a coincidence and could be explained, but three times in a row, each time ending in failure for various inexplicable reasons!

Zhao Jianguo couldn't help but start to doubt his own existence. Where exactly did things go wrong? Why was getting an abortion so incredibly difficult? Was the little one inside him some kind of vengeful spirit, refusing to leave no matter what?

He rubbed his face vigorously, cursing inwardly, "Damn it, this is really weird!"

Just as an eerie silence fell over the ward, a sudden burst of noisy footsteps and commotion came from outside the corridor.

Immediately afterwards, with a "bang," the ward door was violently pushed open.

He turned his head and saw the burly driver whose car window he had smashed and whose car he had forcibly requisitioned earlier, leading two uniformed police officers as they stormed in menacingly.

"Officer! It's him!" The burly driver recognized Zhao Jianguo at a glance and excitedly pointed at him, shouting, "He's the one who forcibly stopped my car halfway down the road and smashed my passenger-side window! What is this if not highway robbery?!"

The two policemen frowned, their sharp eyes fixed on Zhao Jianguo. They asked in a deep voice, "Comrade, we received a report from the public that you are suspected of causing trouble on the road, violently stopping vehicles, and intentionally damaging other people's property. What exactly happened? Come with us!"